Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Activation Energy
Activation energy is the minimum energy required for a chemical reaction to occur. It acts as a barrier that must be overcome for reactants to transform into products. Without this energy barrier, reactions could proceed spontaneously at any temperature, leading to uncontrolled and potentially harmful processes in biological systems.
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Enzyme Function
Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions by lowering the activation energy required. They bind to substrates to form an enzyme-substrate complex, facilitating the conversion to products. If activation energy barriers did not exist, the role of enzymes would be diminished, as reactions would occur without their assistance, potentially disrupting metabolic pathways.
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Metabolic Reactions
Metabolic reactions are the biochemical processes that occur within living organisms to maintain life, including catabolism and anabolism. These reactions are tightly regulated to ensure that products are only formed when needed. If activation energy barriers were absent, metabolic reactions could occur indiscriminately, leading to imbalances and the production of unnecessary or harmful substances.
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Introduction to Metabolism